kitchen sink/counter top replacement

Hey gang, I'm a total newbie here...We are starting to plan a replacement of our kitchen sink and counter tops...

Looks like solid surface/corian is a good way to go..anybody have any advice on any better options? Also, what is a good brand of garbage disposer to go with? Is Insinkerator good?? Thanks in advance for any advice.

Lot's of choices...Corian is one of them - don't get stuck on a single brand, though. Some people prefer the natural stone look. Depending on what you select, real stone can be less expensive. Corian (and similar items) can be scratched, is heat sensitive, but can be sanded and buffed out. You get a true one-piece install. A slab often needs to be put on in pieces. But (not all need sealing), once sealed, is pretty bulletproof. You can get a matching sink (in many designs) for a solid surface built-in sink, too. Since that part gets the most wear and tear, though, another type sink might be better - scratches and discoloration can be a problem as it ages with things being moved around the sink. I prefer an undermount sink to a drop-in,as it makes it so much easier to wipe crumbs, etc., into the sink - the lip makes that nearly impossible, and harbors accumulating crud.

Except for some design choices, I prefer stone to the man-made stuff. Ask 50 people, you'll get 50 opinions.

Hi Jim, thanks for all the info...We are going to look around at a coule of local showrooms tomorrow and see what we like (were near Cleveland, Ohio)..The wife said her sister has a corian sink and she has to be carefull what she uses to clean it, like you said, it's suseptible to scratching..so it looks like a stainless sink is in order for us, for it's durability...We also like the sink mounted unerneath for the same reasons you noted.

I just wish I knew some good contractors around here..I guess you just have to take a chance and check the bbb to make sure...Thanks again for all the info.

If you go to a fabricator directly, rather than just an installer, you can often cut out the middleman and save some money, too. If you go to someplace like HD, you pay them their mark-up, the installer's mark-up, and the fabricator's. If you can find an installing fabricator, it becomes much more ecconomical. Luckily, I only needed small pieces to do what I wanted, and I got the materials at remnant prices. Since they were small, I was able to install them myself. For a normal install, that is not smart since they are quite heavy, and being natural products, subject to fracture if not handled properly, either in tranport or install. I used granite tile for most of the counter, and a slab of the same material for the area of the sink. All solid is nice, but my budget was tight when I did this.

but looks great and is the "hot" countertop at real estate showings. We just had countertops and desktops replaced, going through one of the chains, but the advice to go directly to a fabricator is definitely worth looking into.

You might be able to find out who the local chains use for fabrication and installation by asking them and if they are reluctant to tell you tell them youve heard of problems with some installers and want to know who it is.

Hey gang, thanks again for all the info...We went to a local shop www.lakecabinet.com and they did a quote for us for corian. Installed was $110 per foot. My wife really liked the quartz, I think it was called Zodiac, but it was way expensive, like $175 a foot installed.

I don't know if things have changed (yet), but the Zodiac is expensive because it isn't fabricated locally - they have to send away for it. Does the place you stopped fabricate the stuff, or only install it? That makes a big difference. The granite fabricator I had do my stuff machines the granite slabs, and also make corian, silestone, and wilsonart stuff. There are numerous "grades" of Corian, hard to say for sure if that is good without knowing the specific material and the edge finishes. I've seen granite slabs for as little as $40/sq; less than your Corian quote. Where you live can make a big difference. I've also seen granite for over $200/sq ft.

Hi Jim, thanks again for the info. This is the color my wife wants to go with:http://tinyurl.com/7kylg - apparently group "c".

The place we went to said they do all their own fabrication except for the zodiac, they said that was actually handled by the same people that do the granite. It included a 1/4" bevel. We are near Cleveland, Ohio, not sure if we are in a higher cost area or not.

The salesman did say it was beneficial to wait as the cost for corian is going down as there is a lot of competition in the form of Korea (LG). Apparently they make a product which is the equal of corian and are driving the prices down.

I have another person that does kitchens but he has someone do the countertops for him and he just installs it all. I kind of like the idea of one shop that does the whole deal. Just not sure if $110 installed is too much for corian. Thanks again.

Corian used to be more like $125. Make sure when you compare prices you know whether they are talking per SQUARE FOOT or per LINEAR foot. Corian is typically quoted per linear foot and granite per square foot.

Both types, the "per" number is a starting point, and there are add-ons for different edge details, sink cut-outs, back splashes, etc. etc.

I have always been pleased with Corian. Have used it in our own kitchens and bathrooms, including the shower. Did one of the kitchen installations myself (had a friend who was a fabricator) found it easy to work with. Wife loves it.

I did venture out to one of the competition for a vanity top, ended up ripping it out and replacing it with Corian. That was several years ago, suspect the competition has improved since then.

What we want to do after we get the sink into the counter, with some help, is measure approximately the line of this side of the sink in the front just to make sure that it is almost the same. It doesn't have to be exactly the same, but it has to look like its exactly the same. If all of your walls are crooked, and it's straight, its not going to look good. One thing that you have to realize is that your house is probably not laid out straight, so you might not want to put everything straight. Just put it to where it looks fine. And that's how you would line up the kitchen sink in a kitchen remodel.
free video at:http://homegarden.expertvillage.com/videos/kitchen-sink-install.htm

We want to reinforce the counter itself. Now you can't see, but inside this cabinet, there's a 2x4 in the corner. You run one all the way across to a 2x4 that's on the back side. Then you screw a 2x4 to the top of the counter, through the counter top, and through the side of the cabinet to the right. Then you repeat that on the left side. This will give it more support, seeing as how the sink only sits on a 3/8 of an inch spot all the way around this hole. You also want to make sure that your hole is large enough to tack on strips just to fill in the space, as long as the sink itself does not rest on those strips. And that is how you would reinforce a counter to install a heavy sink.
free video at:http://homegarden.expertvillage.com/videos/kitchen-sink-counter.htm

I haven't milled the edge for the piece or grouted yet, but here it is. The idea came from the John Bridge forums. I used two layers of 3/4" plywood (subfloor grade, not sheeting), and then ditra mat. One of the layers of the plywood can be integrated into the top of the cabinets to save on height. Didn't think about that until later.

Tile cost was about $13/sq ft. Total was probably under $20 for everything (wood, grout, sealer, etc)

We recently did a Silestone counter installation of approximately 25 linear feet with specialty cutouts for a corner sink and 36" cooktop. Edge treatment was a 180 degree bullnose and we used a 4" backsplash. The complete installation cost was just under $8400 near Honolulu. Our costs are significantly higher than the Mainland. The HD quote must be per square foot.

Another plus with Silestone is that is now comes with Microban to help control bacteria, and unlike granite, it doesn't need to be resealed periodically.

I did all of the construction on the project, except the countertop. The top requires a 3/4" solid core plywood sub-top. Careful planning and detailing for sink and stove cutouts is a must.

The granite tile is a great alternative and can be set with tight joints to provide a good look. Nice job!

Chances are if thereâ€™s a burn mark from a pot on your counter top, thatâ€™s a good place to put a built-in, heat-proof section for setting pots. Ceramic tiles are the perfect solution. Use contact cement or tile adhesive to place four squares of the tiles together on the counter top for setting hot pans.

Leftover linoleum makes a pretty counter top for a bathroom or kitchen. Itâ€™s not heat-proof, though, so never set hot pans on it. Glue the linoleum on to the counter top. To do the front edge of the counter top, glue the linoleum onto the front, then on the top, then place narrow molding over the joining sections.

In the bathroom, spread a thick layer of plaster of Paris, concrete, cement or grout on the counter. Now arrange shells, marbles, stones, river rock, glass pieces or broken China. Make sure any sharp edges are covered with the grout. Seal with clear sealant.

Clear shelf paper with adhesive backing provides a way to cover up ugly counter tops. Arrange flat objects, like fabric or pictures from magazines, onto the counter top. Now cover the entire thing with clear shelf paper. A different way to achieve the same results is to laminate the photos, fabric or pictures and then glue the laminated items to the counter top. You can also use regular printed shelf paper to stick to the counter tops for coverage.

Fabric that hasnâ€™t been laminated can easily be attached to the counter top with decoupage glue. Apply a thin coat of the glue, making sure entire counter top is covered. Place the fabric, cutting around the sink. Spread a thin layer of decoupage on top of the fabric, too. After the glue is dry, use a very lightweight steel wool to slightly sand the counter. Spray or brush on clear varnish or lacquer. The fabric doesnâ€™t have to be all one piece. You can cut squares, triangles and other shapes and arrange them on the counter top.

Thin, colored foam, which comes on a roll, can be glued onto bathroom counters. Although the foam is washable, itâ€™s easily marred. Be careful with scissors, hot blow dryers or curling irons. Never lay hot items on this type of foam.

Dimension paint, found at a craft or department store, is a great way to make counter tops beautiful again. The paint, which is spread on, makes any surface look like stone. After giving the counter tops a couple of coats, seal with spray-on sealant. You can also find spray-on, granite-look paint that usually includes the sealant. One can doesnâ€™t do a very large area, and itâ€™s a little expensive if youâ€™re doing a large area, but the results are nice.

Combine techniques, like laying linoleum on the counter tops, or laminated pictures, then setting the four square ceramic tiles for hot pots. Or, use the dimensional paint and then lay the ceramic tiles. Whichever you choose, youâ€™ll be very happy with your new counter tops.

We just did this in our new house - ripped out nasty white formica and went with corian from HD (in Seattle). Also chose a corian sink, so it's all one piece. Paid extra for the seamless backsplash, which is SWEET. Nowhere for gross stuff to hide now. Also signed up for a HD credit card so we saved 10% AND got interest free for one year. It came to $1,750 installed, for 19.75 sq ft, including the sink. Haven't had any problems with the sink scratching, just use soft scrub like they say. The installer they use was also highly rated on Angie's List so I felt good about using them.